Today in History for Jan. 7, 2015

Jan. 7, 1610 - Galileo made his great discovery of Jupiter's major moons including Io, Europa and Ganymede.

Jan. 7, 1781 – British Capt. Von Hanxleden was killed during a bayonet attack on Spanish Fort, in present-day Alabama, which prompted his men to retreat to Pensacola, Fla.

Jan. 7, 1800 - Millard Fillmore, the 13th U.S. President, was born in Summerhill, N.Y.

Jan. 7, 1839 – Cyler Salter was appointed postmaster of Monroeville, Ala.

Jan. 7, 1839 - The Judson Female Institute opened in Marion, Ala. A Baptist college, it was named for Ann Hasseltine Judson, one of the nation's first female foreign missionaries. The school was renamed Judson College in 1903.

Jan. 7, 1861 – The Secession Convention of Alabama assembled in Montgomery.

Jan. 7, 1864 - Caleb Blood Smith, the Secretary of the Interior in 1861 and 1862, passed away at the age of 55 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He played a major role in managing relations with Native Americans during the Civil War. He resigned at the end of 1862 and was appointed a district judge in Indianapolis by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

Jan. 7, 1887 – Horace Hood, who bought The Monroe Journal in October 1875, sold The Journal to 18-year-old Q. Salter. Salter would serve as editor and publisher until 1929.

Jan. 7, 1891 - Author Zora Neale Hurston is born in Notasulga, Ala. She grew up in Eatonville, Fla. and her most famous novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” was published in 1937.

Jan. 7, 1903 – Monroeville Public High School, which was built in Monroeville, Ala. in 1895, burned and wasn’t replaced until eight years later.

Jan. 7, 1908 – The trial of J.M. Knight, a young man who was arrested a few days prior and charged with the murder of Henry Burgess in October 1907, was held at the Conecuh County Courthouse in Evergreen, Ala. After hearing the evidence in the case, Judge Atkinson discharged Knight from custody. The mystery surrounding Burgess’ murder remained unsolved.

Jan. 7, 1909 – Bowles Post Office, which opened on Feb. 17, 1887 at the residence of John Kelly 12-1/2 miles north of Evergreen, Ala., moved one mile south to the W.E. “Bill” Cook Store, where the post office remained until it permanently closed on March 21, 1911.

Jan. 7, 1915 – A “Mrs. Watson” of Bermuda died in the Monroe County Jail in Monroeville, Ala. She’d been arrested for vagrancy and it was believed that she was a narcotics addict.

Jan. 7, 1915 – The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala. reported that two prisoners recently escaped from the Monroe County Jail after Jailor J.W. Urquhart “detailed them to carry fuel into the building for heating purposes.” One of the prisoners was caught during a footchase, and the other turned himself back in the following day “after spending one night in the cold.”

Jan. 7, 1915 – The Conecuh Record reported that John Lasiter caught a large catamount in a trap “a few days ago” on the Moorer Plantation in Conecuh County, Ala.

Jan. 7, 1915 – The Conecuh Record reported that M.C. Reynolds had resigned as superintendent of the orphanage in Evergreen, Ala. and planned to move to Birmingham.

Jan. 7, 1915 – G.H. Oswald, a 45-year-old who was seriously injured in a fall from the roof of a two-story house in Evergreen, Ala. two days before, passed away on this night.

Jan. 7, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. George T. Hurt of Thomasville, Ala. “died from disease.”

Jan. 7, 1929 - The debut of "Buck Rogers 2429 A.D." occurred in newspapers around the U.S. The title of the comic strip was later changed to "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century."

Jan. 7, 1930 – Republican politician Ann Bedsole was born in Selma, Ala. and she would go on to be the first Republican woman elected to the State House and State Senate.

Jan. 7, 1938 – Major League Baseball first baseman Fred Whitfield was born in Vandiver, Ala. He attended Woodlawn High School in Birmingham and went on to play for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cleveland Indians, the Cincinnati Reds and the Montreal Expos.

Jan. 7, 1941 - The NBC Blue radio network presented "The Squeaky Door" for the first time. The show was later known as "Inner Sanctum."

Jan. 7, 1943 - Scientific genius Nikola Tesla passed away in New York City at the age of 86.

Jan. 7, 1948 – Kentucky Air National Guard Capt. Thomas Mantel and several other pilots at Godman Field, Fort Knox, took their P-51 Mustangs up after a UFO “of tremendous size” observed during the daytime and approaching the base. A Mantel climbed toward the object, witnesses watched his plane disintegrate.

Jan. 7, 1952 – Marine Capt. Wallace Norman Wood of Butler County, Ala. was killed in action in Korea.

Jan. 7, 1966 – University of Alabama assistant coach Richard Williamson was scheduled to be the guest speaker at the Evergreen Quarterback Club’s annual banquet in Evergreen, Ala. Williamson was a receiver and defensive end on Alabama’s 1961 national championship team. Alabama safety and sideback John Moseley of Thomaston, Ala. was expected to accompany Williamson to the banquet.

Jan. 7, 1977 – Sparta Academy’s boys basketball team recorded a 77-63 road win over South Butler Academy. Bobby Johnson led Sparta with 17 points. Tim Johnson had 15, and Jerry Peacock scored 12.

Jan. 7, 1982 – Actress Lauren Cohen was born in Cherry Hill, N.J. She is best known for her role as Maggie Greene in “The Walking Dead” television show.

Jan. 7, 1983 - The 100th episode of "The Dukes of Hazzard" was aired on CBS.

Jan. 7, 1991 - Pete Rose left an Illinois federal prison and checked into a halfway house in Cincinnati. He was completing a sentence for cheating on his taxes.

Jan. 7, 1992 – Work clothes manufacturer Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company in Frisco City, Ala., which was built in 1959, burned and was replaced by Medline Industries.

Jan. 7, 1992 – Steven Wayne Hall was released from the University of South Alabama Medical Center in Mobile, Ala. where he had been treated for gun shot wounds to his right leg and buttocks. Hall and an accomplice, Wayne Travis, were both shot by law enforcement officers on Dec. 15 during a chase through a wooded area of Monroe County, Ala. Both men were suspects in the Dec. 14 murder of 69-year-old Clarene Haskew in Conecuh County, Ala.

Jan. 7, 1993 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Amtrak officials were preparing to shut down the Gulf Breeze Line, the twice daily passenger train, which serviced Evergreen and other towns in South Alabama. The Gulf Breeze made two daily stops in Evergreen. It began its journey each day at 7:55 a.m., leaving Mobile headed north. Making stops in Bay Minette, Atmore and Brewton, the approximate arrival time at Evegreen’s Depot each morning is 9:43 a.m. Leaving Evergreen, it made stops in Greenville and Montgomery before ending its route in Birmingham at 1:30 p.m.

Jan. 7, 1994 – Episode No. 13 of “The X-Files” – entitled “Beyond the Sea” – aired for the first time.

Jan. 7, 2002 – Vredenburgh, Ala. native Mike Stewart’s third novel, “A Clean Kill,” was released.

Jan. 7, 2002 - George Seifert was fired as head coach of the Carolina Panthers after a 1-15 season.

Jan. 7, 2010 - Coach Nick Saban led the University of Alabama football team, including Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, to win the BCS National Championship in Pasadena, CA against the Texas Longhorns with a final score of 37 to 21.

Jan. 7, 2013 - No. 2-ranked University of Alabama defeated No. 1-ranked Notre Dame, 42-14, to earn the BCS National Championship in Miami, making it the fourth national championship won by Coach Nick Saban.